 |
|
|
|||||
The Trump administration might be in the process of dismantling the Department of Education, but it still wants a say in what students learn in school. The Washington Post reports that Trump has drafted (but not yet signed) an executive order that would make artificial intelligence part of the school process for children as young as five years old. The EO, titled Advancing artificial intelligence education for American youth” and reportedly seen by the paper, instructs federal agencies to help train K-12 students in the use of AI and make it part of teaching-related tasks. Private sector AI companies, which are not named but could include Elon Musk’s xAI as well as OpenAI, would also be asked to be part of the program, helping to develop programs to run in schools. Trump could decide to change or simply not sign the EO but in his three months in office, he has shown a strong backing for the technology. The White House did not immediately respond to Fast Companys request for comment about the report. Since the start of his administration, Trump has done away with regulations put in place during the Biden administration to create guardrails for AI companies. He also has championed a private sector investment to build AI data centers, worth as much as $500 billion. The order, as it stands now, reportedly calls for several actions that would benefit AI companies and adjust the educational process for children in all grades of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school. Here’s a look at some of the changes mentioned. Grant adjustments The task force overseeing the AI integration plans would reportedly be instructed to look at existing federal funding, including grants for AI, which can be prioritized for AI educational spending. Across all areas of the government, federal investment in research and development to support advances in AI has increased by $2.8 billion since 2021, with a budget of $11.2 billion this year (excluding classified programs). AI partnerships Public-private partnerships with AI companies are a critical part of the drafted EO. Federal agencies would be told to seek these out in order to teach students foundational AI literacy and critical-thinking skills, the Post reports. Many AI companies already have government contracts with the Department of Defense testing use cases for AI models from Meta, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Mistral, among others. The Treasury Department, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the National Science Foundation also all have contracts with AI companies. Teacher training While the DOE is being eliminated, the draft of the EO reportedly calls for Education Secretary Linda McMahon to adjust federal grant funding, with a new emphasis on training teachers to use AI for everything from teacher training to evaluations. Professional development classes with AI integration are also part of the order, for teachers in all subject areas. Apprenticeships Also reportedly in the draft of the order, Trump instructs Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to put together a collection of registered apprenticeships in occupations in the AI field, presumably for students in higher grades. “Presidential AI Challenge” To motivate students, the order reportedly calls for the formation of a “Presidential AI Challenge,” which will be a competition for both students and educators to showcase their AI skills. Whether the executive order is signed or not, AI is increasingly becoming a part of the educational process. California recently passed a law requiring AI literacy to be incorporated into K-12 curricula starting in the fall of 2025. The European Unions AI Act, meanwhile, went into effect on February 5, requiring organizations that use AI in their products to implement AI literacy programs and train applicable staff to have the skills, knowledge, and understanding that allow providers, deployers, and affected persons . . . to make an informed deployment of AI systems, as well as to gain awareness about the opportunities and risks of AI and possible harm it can cause.
Category:
E-Commerce
Stalking, but with a side of Dr Pepper? A number of streamers in Japan have recently had run-ins with a mysterious stream sniper known only as the Dr Pepper Guy. As Dexerto first reported, after tracking down streamers in random locations, the unknown figure silently cracks open a can of cold Dr Pepper, hands it over, and disappears without a word. Stream snipingwhere viewers deliberately join or disrupt a live streamhas become increasingly common as IRL live streaming grows in popularity on Twitch. While it sometimes raises safety concerns, resulting in unwelcome stalking and harassment, other times its a bizarre example of the internet at its weird and wonderful best. In a clip posted two days ago by Twitch streamer Mizkif, the group is seen enjoying sushi in a private restaurant booth when the door slides open and a hand holding a Dr Pepper appears. Silently, the man places the can on the table and retreats without a word. I would love to know how he found us, Mizkif says to the camera, confused. We just drove 30 minutes in an Uber away from where we were, at a random omakase on the fourth floor of this building. That doesnt stop Mizkif from cracking open the can and taking a swig. While stream sniping is typically discouraged, fans seem more forgiving when refreshing beverages are involved. Youre being stalked, but your stalker drops off a can of Dr Pepper, so its okay, wrote one Redditor. Once again perfect example of what a snipe should be, respectful, short, and ambiguous, another viewer commented. Mizkif isnt the only recent target. Streamers Vangard, T10Nat, and Tokyo Sims have all been Dr Peppered in the past couple weeks, with videos of their encounters following a similar format. Some viewers suspect the streamers may be in on the joke, given how easily Dr Pepper Guy seems to find their locationseven at private events. Others wonder if its all just a clever marketing stunt. I rarely fall for marketing, but man this guy actually got me wanting Dr Pepper, a Redditor commented. If Dr Pepper hasnt already, they might want to get this guy on payroll.
Category:
E-Commerce
Stores selling secondhand clothes, shoes and accessories are poised to benefit from President Donald Trump’s trade war even as businesses the world over race to avert potential damage, according to industry experts. American styles carry international influence, but nearly all of the clothing sold domestically is made elsewhere. The Yale University Budget Lab last week estimated short-term consumer price increases of 65% for clothes and 87% for leather goods, noting U.S. tariffs “disproportionately affect those goods. Such price hikes may drive cost-conscious shoppers to online resale sites, consignment boutiques and thrift stores in search of bargains or a way to turn their wardrobes into cash. Used items cost less than their new equivalents and only would be subject to tariffs if they come from outside the country. I think resale is going to grow in a market that is declining, said Kristen Classi-Zummo, an apparel industry analyst at market research firm Circana. What I think is going to continue to win in this chaotic environment are channels that bring value. The outlook for pre-owned fashion nevertheless comes with unknowns, including whether the president’s tariffs will stay long enough to pinch consumers and change their behavior. It’s also unclear whether secondhand purveyors will increase their own prices, either to mirror the overall market or in response to shopper demand. A new audience courtesy of sticker shock Jan Genovese, a retired fashion executive, sells her unwanted designer clothes through customer-to-customer marketplaces like Mercari. If tariffs cause retail prices to rise, she would consider high-end secondhand sites. Until I see it and really have that sticker shock, I cant say exclusively that Ill be pushed into another direction, Genovese, 75, said. I think that the tariff part of it is that you definitely rethink things. And maybe I will start looking at alternative venues. The secondhand clothing market already was flourishing before the specter of tariffs bedeviled the U.S. fashion industry. Management consulting firm McKinsey and Co. predicted after the COVID-19 pandemic that global revenue from pre-owned fashion would grow 11 times faster than retail apparel sales by this year as shoppers looked to save money or spend it in a more environmentally conscious way. While millennials and members of Generation Z were known as the primary buyers of used clothing, data from market research firm Sensor Tower shows the audience may be expanding. The number of mobile app downloads for nine resale marketplaces the firm tracks eBay, OfferUp, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist, Depop, ThredUp, TheRealReal and Vinted increased by 3% between January and the end of March, the first quarterly gain in three years, Sensor Tower said. The firm estimates downloads of the apps for eBay, Depop, ThredUp and The RealReal also surged compared to a year earlier for the week of March 31, which was when Trump unveiled since-paused punitive tariffs on dozens of countries. Circanas Classi-Zummo said that while customers used to seek out collectible or unusual vintage pieces to supplement their wardrobes, she has noticed more shoppers turning to secondhand sites to replace regular fashion items. “It’s still a cheaper option than buying new, even though retailers offer discounts, she said. A tariff-free gold mine lurking in closets and warehouses Poshmark, a digital platform where users buy and sell pre-owned clothing, has yet to see sales pick up under the tariff schedule Trump unveiled but is prepared to capitalize on the moment, CEO Manish Chandra said. Companies operating e-commerce marketplaces upgrade their technology to make it easier to find items. A visual search tool and other improvements to the Poshmark experience will pay long dividends in terms of disruption that happens in the market from the tariffs, Chandra said. Archive, a San Francisco-based technology company that builds and manages online and in-store resale programs for brands including Dr. Martens, The North Face and Lululemon, has noticed clothing labels expressing more urgency to team up, CEO Emily Gittins said. “Tapping into all of the inventory that is already sitting in the U.S., either in peoples closets or in warehouses not being used, offers a revenue source while brands limit or suspend orders from foreign manufacturers, she said. Theres a huge amount of uncertainty, Gittins said. Everyone believes that this is going to be hugely damaging to consumer goods brands that sell in the U.S. So resale is basically where everyones head is going.” Stock analysts have predicted off-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Burlington Stores will weather tariffs more easily than regular apparel chains and department stores because they carry leftover merchandise in the U.S. Priced out of the previously owned market Still, resale vendors aren’t immune from tariff-induced upheavals, said Rachel Kibbe, founder and CEO of Circular Services Group, a firm that advises brands and retailers on reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact. U.S. sellers that import secondhand inventory from European Union countries would have to pay a 20% duty if Trump moves forward with instituting reciprocal tariffs on most trading partners and eliminates an import tax exception for parcels worth less than $800, Kibbe said. A circular fashion coalition she leads is seeking a tariff exemption for used and recycled goods that will be offered for resale, Kibbe said. Trump already ended the duty-free provision for low-value parcels from China, a move that may benefit sellers of secondhand clothing by making low-priced Chinese fashions pricier, she said. James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of the online consignment marketplace ThredUp, said the removal of the de minimis provision and the 145% tariff Trump put on products made in China would benefit businesses like his. He doubts creating resale channels would make a big difference for individual brands. Brands will explore this and they may do more, but I dont see them massively changing their operations, Reinhart said. I think theyre going to be figuring out how to survive. And I dont think resale helps you survive. Rebag, an online marketplace and retail chain that sells used designer handbags priced from $500 to tens of thousands of dollars, expects tariffs to help drive new customers and plans to open more physical stores, CEO Charles Gorra said. Gorra said the company would analyze prices for new luxury goods and adjust what Rebag charges accordingly. The two historically rose in tandem, but Rebag could not match Chanel’s 10% price increase last year because of lower resale demand, Gorra said. That has nothing to do with the tariffs, he said. Consumers are feeling priced out. Norah Brotman, 22, a senior at the University of Minnesota, buys most of her own clothes on eBay. She also thrifts fashions from the 1990s and early 2000s at Goodwill stores and resells them on Depop. If tariffs upend the economics of fast fashion and discourage mindless consumption, Brotman would count that as a plus. I would love if this would steer people in a different direction, she said. Anne D’Innocenzio, AP retail writer
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||